TITLE: A Friend in Need
AUTHOR: trista groulx (the dustytiger)
DISCLAIMER: kim, faith, fred, joey, bobby, jimmy, bosco, davis, sully, none of these characters are mine, i'm just borowing them to play with them for a little while, they belong to their creator and the actors and actresses who portray them, i promise i'll be gentle, don't sue
RATING: PG-13 tops currently
CONTENT: kim/faith friendship, fred/faith divorce, kim/bobby r, faith/bosco sex/ust
SPOILERS: 32 bullets and a broken heart (missing scene/continuation)
SUMMARY: Kim and Faith become friends after they share their heartaches that Valintines day.
AUTHORS NOTES: oh dear me the drama, kim has to tell so many people, i feel like this is getting redudant, i'll start throwing in some more faith stuff from here on it i promise! hoping you're still liking this fic... wow it was never supposed to be this long and involved :S

Doc and Lieutenant Johnson seemed surprised when they saw Kim and Bobby come into the house. They had known that Kim had had a doctor's appointment, and wondered what it was about. They both somewhat assumed that Kim might be there to tell them she was pregnant again.

"Doc, Lieu, I need to talk to you both," said Kim.

"All right," Doc replied.

"Privately, please."

They both nodded, and went to the lieutenant's office. Although Doc was in charge of the medic side, Lieu was still involved with the personnel stuff on both sides. Kim had learned that when she had had to tell them about being pregnant.

When they all got into the office, Lieu closed the door behind them. Kim was feeling more and more nervous. She wished that her news was that she was pregnant again, cause that would be so much easier to do again.

"So what's the problem?" Lieutenant Johnson asked.

Kim took a deep breath. "I need to go in for surgery," Kim explained.

"All right, good when exactly?"

"In about a month, my oncologist still has to see when he can get an operating room."

"Oncologist?" asked Doc.

Kim nodded. "Yeah, oncologist. I, uh, I have stomach cancer."

"Oh," both men said at the same time.

Kim nodded. "He says it's my choice if I wanna work until the surgery date. If you need me, I'm up to it."

Doc looked at her. "I'd rather you just work on getting yourself better, we'll find a replacement."

Lieutenant Johnson agreed. "You're off the schedule until you want back on."

Kim smiled, weakly. "I'll want back on, if I get better."

"What's the success rate of the procedure?" Doc asked.

"Sixty five percent," Kim replied starting to get used to saying what she had to.

"Wow, what kind of procedure is it?"

"I'm getting a part of my stomach removed, actually."

"Really?" asked Lieu.

"Yeah, go figure some women do similar things just to get skinny."

He laughed nervously. "I think you're skinny enough already."

Kim nodded. "Yeah, me too. But when it's all over with I get to be on a high calorie diet, and don't have to worry too much about my waist line."

"It's good that you're finding the positive in this," Doc said.

"I'm really trying."

"What kind of recovery time are we looking at here?" Lieu asked, trying to keep up with her positive beat.

"Probably about six months, to make sure that everything is fully healed," Kim replied.

"So seven months, that's a long time."

Kim nodded. "Yeah, but I'm sure I'll get back into the swing of things."

"I'm sure I will too."

Kim was glad that everyone seemed to be keeping positive about the whole situation, it actually made it easier to tell them what was going on.

"Have you told Doherty yet?" Lieu asked.

"No, not yet."

"If you'd like to tell him right away you can use the office."

"Thank you so much, I'd like that."

He nodded. "I'll go get him."

Lieu and Doc left the office. Kim looked at Bobby.

"I'd like to tell him by myself, please?" Kim told him.

"All right," he agreed.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

That actually made him feel a lot better about her talking to Jimmy alone. He kissed her on the cheek, and joined the rest of the guys outside, who were trying to figure out what was going on.

Jimmy entered the office, and closed the door behind him, figuring it was something big. Kim smiled at him nervously, and he smiled back. Things had been very awkward between them since she had started seeing Bobby.

"Hi," he said.

"Hey," she replied.

"What's up?"

She couldn't look at him. "I don't know how to tell you this Jimmy."

"Are you pregnant?"

She shook her head. "You saw the result of that test."

He nodded. "Come on, Kimmy just tell me, please?"

She was looking at the floor. "Jimmy, I have cancer."

He went ghost white. "What?"

"I have stomach cancer, to be exact."

"What does this mean?"

"It means that I have to have surgery to get the cancerous part of my stomach removed."

"Why are you telling me this?"

She looked up at him. "Because you're still very important to me."

"But Bobby's going to be the one who will be there the whole time right?"

She nodded. "Well, yes, but that doesn't mean I don't need you to have a role in it."

"What kind of role?"

"Jimmy, I have a thirty five percent chance of dieing."

He was trying to hold back tears. "Why are you being so grim?"

"Cause you'll let me."

"What?"

"Bobby just wants to be positive, and think that it'll all be okay, but it might not be. You're the only person who can handle that fact."

He nodded. "All right."

"You know all the things that I want, or don't want when I die. You're the only one, and I'm sorry that you have to be that person."

"It's all right, Kim. I can handle that."

She nodded. "And you are also the one who is going to be raising Joey if something happens."

"Does he know?"

"Not yet, I don't even know how to tell him yet."

"All right. Kimmy, you can't leave him, he needs you."

"I don't want to, but if I do have to, I want to know you're going to take proper care of him."

"I can try, but I'm not so good with him."

"I know that. But I think you could be if you had to be."

He nodded. "If that happens I'll have to make it work. Got any advise?"

"Yeah, if you get him, ask for help from whoever is willing to offer it."

"All right."

"I don't know if this is too much to ask, Jimmy." She started. "No, never mind."

"No, Kimmy, please?"

"If something happens to me, I'd really like if Bobby could still have some part of his life. He's always been there, and I just don't think it would be fair to him if I died, and then he couldn't go to Bobby."

"I agree with you, on that. Bobby is amazing with him, and I should have taken lessons a long time ago."

Kim half smiled. "If Joey decided he didn't need him anymore, that would be fine, I just don't want you to be the one to take that away from him."

"I promise, I won't."

She tried to smile. "Thank you."

"Kimmy are okay?"

"No."

She couldn't keep herself from crying. The floodgates opened. He took her into his arms, and hugged her close.

"You're strong, you're going to the through this," he assured her.

"I don't know Jimmy, I'm so scared," she replied.

"You've made it through a divorce with me, that has to say something."

She smiled a little. "Jimmy-"

"I know you, and I know what you're capable of. Yeah, it's going to be a fight, but you're up to it. You're more then up to it. If something happens then I'll deal with it, just like you asked, but I don't think that's going to be the case."

She nodded. "This is gonna be really hard."

"I can only imagine what this is going to be like."

"They're taking a part of my stomach, Jimmy."

"And if they didn't?"

"I'd be dead within a year."

"Then let them take it."

She nodded. "I guess it's a good thing that I actually went to the doctor."

"I bet Bobby had a lot do with that."

"Yeah."

"He's really good for, you know that?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I do."

He laughed. "Cause I would have never been able to make you see a doctor if you didn't think you had to."

She smiled at him. "Joey had a lot to do with it too."

He nodded. "Just cause I'm okay with him doesn't mean that I like that he's the one who gets to take you home every night."

"I know that."

"You deserve someone who treats you right, and I'm sorry I could never be that person."

"I learned a lot from you. And I got Joey, so that makes all the bullshit worth it."

"And we'll always have him to remind us there was a time where we thought we loved each other."

She nodded. "Yeah. I do want you to be there too, Jimmy."

"That wouldn't end well. You know that."

"I love Bobby."

"I know you do, and that's why you need me as far away as possible."

She nodded. "He said that he'll marry me when this is all over with."

"That's great! Do you think you're ready for marriage number two?"

"Yeah, I do. Hopefully this one works out better for you."

"I somehow think it will."

He nodded. "Yeah, I somehow think that he won't mess around with your sister behind your back."

She laughed a little. "No, that doesn't really sound much like him at all."

"We've had some amazing times, you know that?"

She nodded. "Yeah, we have."

"Don't look back anymore, all right? Just look forward."

"I won't. Why is it that everything goes so wrong when I'm so happy?"

He shrugged. "Once you get over this you'll have your quota of bad news I'm sure."

"I really hope so."

"I bet that after this is all said and done you'll almost live happily ever after."

She laughed. "Life doesn't work that way."

"All right, after this is done, you'll be happy, like you should always have been."

"Thank you Jimmy. So we can be just friends?"

"Always."

She hugged him again. Jimmy noticed as he hugged her that she had lost a lot of weight, she didn't feel the same as the last time he had had her that close. Kim was glad that she could get support from him too. Just because he was in the past didn't mean he didn't mean a lot to her.

"I guess I need to tell everyone else now huh?" Kim asked.

"They're probably more then a little curious," replied Jimmy.

They left the office, and Kim went right over to Bobby. He wrapped his arm around her waist. She smiled at him lovingly.

"So what's the news?" asked Carlos.

Kim shook her head, not at all surprised that it was Carlos who would just start pushing for answers. The kid really needed to learn how to be more diplomatic when he was looking for information.

Kim squeezed Bobby's hand, she knew telling everyone that she worked was going to be the hardest to do. She didn't really know why, but she was dreading tell them. Probably mostly because she didn't have any idea how they might react.

"There's no point in beating around the bush with you guys," she said. "I've got stomach cancer."

"What?" asked Carlos, shocked.

"Yeah, I need surgery in about a month, and if I make it through that I'll be able to go back to work six months after."

"Come on," DK said. "You have to be shitting us."

Kim shook her head. "No, that's why I've been sick for the last little while. I told you I wasn't pregnant."

"Did you say stomach cancer?" asked Walsh.

"Yeah."

"Kim, I'm so sorry, my aunt had that, I – Kim don't you go dieing on us."

She half smiled. "I'm not planning on it, and if someone tries to take me I'm gonna kick up one hell of a fight."

Walsh hugged her. "You had better."

"Bobby," said Lombardo. "You had better keep us updated on all the information once everything goes down."

"I will."

"You had better come back," said DK. "It just wouldn't be the same around here without your pretty face brightening up the place."

Kim smiled. "All right, I'll remember that."

"I'm serious Kim, it just wouldn't seem right around here without you. It's gonna be bad enough you're noting going to be around for seven months."

Kim shrugged. "I could always visit when I'm feeling better."

"That'd be good."

She was glad that even something as serious as what she was telling them was still something they could be themselves about. The fire bell went off shortly after, and they all left. Kim knew she was going to miss the action around there, but somehow she knew she'd be back. Kim and Bobby started for their place shortly after everyone left.

xxxx

Kim had called Faith as soon as she had gotten home. She was actually surprised that Faith had answered, and not Katri. She hadn't realized that it was her day off. Kim was really glad in a way, because she wanted to talk to her face to face.

Bobby had let her use his car, and Kim now pulling up to Faith's place. She went over, and buzzed up. She then went upstairs, and was soon sitting on the couch at her friend's place.

"Where's Katri?" Kim asked.

"She's out exploring the city," Faith explained.

"She's still fascinated by it?"

"Yeah. All right let's quit stalling all right?"

Kim nodded. "Yeah."

"So what happened at the doctor today?"

"I was diagnosed with stomach cancer."

Faith could hardly believe what she was hearing. Had she really said what she thought she said?

"Did you just say you have cancer?" Faith asked.

Kim nodded. "Yeah."

"So what's going to happen?"

"I'm going to need surgery."

"What kind of surgery?"

"I need the cancerous part of my stomach removed."

Faith went pale. "Oh my god!"

"That's what I'm thinking. But on the upside it'll probably keep me good and skinny."

Faith laughed. "That's probably true. Are you scared?"

"I'm terrified, but if I don't do it then I will end up dieing, so I may as well just do it and see what happens right?"

Faith nodded. "You seem so calm about this."

"Every time I tell someone else it gets a little easier."

Faith nodded. "Have you told your son yet?"

"No, I haven't, and I don't even know what I'm going to tell him."

"Yeah, wow, how do you explain cancer to a six year old?"

"Yeah, that's my problem right now. I don't even know where to start explaining this to him."

"This is quiet the conundrum, isn't it?"

Kim nodded. "It's just that I can't just tell him I'm sick, because as far as he's concerned being sick means you've caught something from someone else, which means that anyone else around him can catch it."

"I don't even think I could explain that to Emily to a point where she'd be satisfied with it."

"Exactly. Also how do you tell a six year old that if you don't have major surgery you will die, and if you do it you might die anyway."

"Do you have to tell him that you could die?"

"I don't want him to be completely shocked if it does happen. Even if it doesn't happen I don't want him coming to me years in down the road, asking me why I never told him that I could have died."

Faith nodded. "What are the odds?"

"There's a sixty five percent five year survival rate on this kind of cancer, and that's about the highest because it was caught so early."

"Wow."

"Yeah, so it's not like it's something so minuscule that I can tell him that it didn't really matter."

"So you have to tell him that you could die."

She nodded. "I don't really have a choice in the matter, if I keep this from he now he'll never believe anything I say when he's a little older."

"And you defiantly don't want that. So do they know what caused you to get it?"

"Not really, the doctor said something about my blood type maybe having something to do with it. But really it's just something that just happened. They still haven't figured out exactly what causes stomach cancer."

Faith nodded. "That's really scary."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just glad I actually went to the doctor Because had it spread it would have made everything worse."

"Yeah, so when do you need this surgery?"

"The doctor hasn't given me the exact date, but he says in no more then a month. He's supposed to call me as soon as he knows what day he can get me in."

"That's fast."

"Really fast, because of what it is, they like to move as fast as possible, so that it doesn't get worse."

"It can spread that quickly?"

"Apparently, and if it ends up infecting another organ then you've got real problems."

"So you're not working from now on?"

Kim shook her head. "No, the doctor told me I could work if I wanted to, but Doc and Lieu thought it would be better if I just stayed off until I'm completely healed."

"That makes sense. It's probably better that way."

"Yeah, but I'm going to be going out of my mind not working for a month."

"I'm sure you'll have more on your mind to think about then worrying about not working."

"Yeah, that's what scares me. I'll be at home all day every day, just thinking about what could happen to me. I'll go nuts."

Faith couldn't help but chuckle. "You have a point there. Maybe you should find a hobby."

"Like what?"

"I don't know, knitting?"

Kim laughed. "I'd feel like grandmother."

"What about writing or drawing?"

"That might be a thought, and I could do it right after the surgery."

"You could."

"I like that idea, I may try it. So how are you doing?"

"My problems suddenly seem minor next to yours."

Kim shook her head. "It's not a contest. Just cause I'm sick doesn't mean I won't be here for you when you need someone to talk to."

Faith smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate that, but I'm really good right now. Things are finally starting to look good for me, and the kids!"

"That's great."

"Katri's amazing with them. Bosco and I are good, things are starting to look better for me."

Kim smiled. "I'm glad to hear it, you've been through some rough stuff of late. It's about time you get a break."

"It's my turn to help you while you're in crisis."

"Maybe, but don't hesitate to call me with your problems, I like helping you out."

Faith smiled. "I'll remember that, and if I do start calling you it'll give you something to do!"

"Exactly, see it's win win! I'll just be sitting around, going my god I'm bored, I need something to do. I'll actually be eager to help you with your problems."

"All right."

Kim glanced at her watch. "Oh, I'm really sorry to cut this late, but I want to pick Joey up from school, maybe take him out for ice cream or something before we tell him what's going on."

"That sounds like a great idea. Wow, it's getting late, the kids should be home soon."

"You let them walk home alone?"

"Katri said she's pick them up when she left."

"That's good then. Call me anytime though, seriously, all right?"

"I will." Faith gave her friend a hug. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, bye," said Kim before she left.

tbc...

end notes: all right i'm gonna have something with bosco and faith coming up, and some more faith stuff again soon, i realyl hope you're digging this subplot, i think it works, a little grim, but i mean the real show has thrown lotsa drama our way so i think we can deal ;) reviews make me very very happy, and speed up the trigger finger!